diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
index 0817fbe89..d2c16b1cf 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ struct _MetaWindowActorPrivate
   guint             send_frame_messages_timer;
   gint64            frame_drawn_time;
 
+  guint             repaint_scheduled_id;
+  guint             allocation_changed_id;
+
   /*
    * These need to be counters rather than flags, since more plugins
    * can implement same effect; the practicality of stacking effects
@@ -294,6 +297,57 @@ meta_window_actor_thaw (MetaWindowActor *self)
   meta_window_actor_handle_updates (self);
 }
 
+static void
+set_surface (MetaWindowActor  *self,
+             MetaSurfaceActor *surface)
+{
+  MetaWindowActorPrivate *priv = self->priv;
+
+  if (priv->surface)
+    {
+      g_signal_handler_disconnect (priv->surface, priv->repaint_scheduled_id);
+      priv->repaint_scheduled_id = 0;
+      g_signal_handler_disconnect (priv->surface, priv->allocation_changed_id);
+      priv->allocation_changed_id = 0;
+      clutter_actor_remove_child (CLUTTER_ACTOR (self), CLUTTER_ACTOR (priv->surface));
+      g_object_unref (priv->surface);
+    }
+
+  priv->surface = surface;
+
+  if (priv->surface)
+    {
+      g_object_ref_sink (priv->surface);
+      priv->repaint_scheduled_id = g_signal_connect (priv->surface, "repaint-scheduled",
+                                                     G_CALLBACK (surface_repaint_scheduled), self);
+      priv->allocation_changed_id = g_signal_connect (priv->surface, "allocation-changed",
+                                                      G_CALLBACK (surface_allocation_changed_notify), self);
+      clutter_actor_add_child (CLUTTER_ACTOR (self), CLUTTER_ACTOR (priv->surface));
+
+      /* If the previous surface actor was frozen, start out
+       * frozen as well... */
+      if (priv->updates_frozen)
+        meta_surface_actor_freeze (priv->surface);
+
+      meta_window_actor_update_shape (self);
+    }
+}
+
+static void
+meta_window_actor_update_surface (MetaWindowActor *self)
+{
+  MetaWindowActorPrivate *priv = self->priv;
+  MetaWindow *window = priv->window;
+  MetaSurfaceActor *surface_actor;
+
+  if (window->surface)
+    surface_actor = window->surface->surface_actor;
+  else
+    surface_actor = meta_surface_actor_x11_new (window);
+
+  set_surface (self, surface_actor);
+}
+
 static void
 meta_window_actor_constructed (GObject *object)
 {
@@ -303,22 +357,7 @@ meta_window_actor_constructed (GObject *object)
 
   priv->screen = window->screen;
 
-  if (!priv->surface)
-    {
-      if (window->surface)
-        priv->surface = window->surface->surface_actor;
-      else
-        priv->surface = meta_surface_actor_x11_new (window);
-      g_object_ref_sink (priv->surface);
-
-      clutter_actor_add_child (CLUTTER_ACTOR (self), CLUTTER_ACTOR (priv->surface));
-
-      g_signal_connect_object (priv->surface, "repaint-scheduled",
-                               G_CALLBACK (surface_repaint_scheduled), self, 0);
-      g_signal_connect_object (priv->surface, "allocation-changed",
-                               G_CALLBACK (surface_allocation_changed_notify), self, 0);
-      meta_window_actor_update_shape (self);
-    }
+  meta_window_actor_update_surface (self);
 
   meta_window_actor_update_opacity (self);
 
@@ -361,10 +400,7 @@ meta_window_actor_dispose (GObject *object)
 
   g_clear_object (&priv->window);
 
-  /*
-   * Release the extra reference we took on the actor.
-   */
-  g_clear_object (&priv->surface);
+  set_surface (self, NULL);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_window_actor_parent_class)->dispose (object);
 }
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
index 0783316fe..a7bf0504e 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
@@ -574,23 +574,16 @@ const struct wl_surface_interface meta_wayland_surface_interface = {
   meta_wayland_surface_set_buffer_scale
 };
 
-static void
-unparent_actor (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
+void
+meta_wayland_surface_make_toplevel (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
 {
-  ClutterActor *parent_actor;
-
-  parent_actor = clutter_actor_get_parent (CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface->surface_actor));
-  clutter_actor_remove_child (parent_actor, CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface->surface_actor));
+  clutter_actor_set_reactive (CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface->surface_actor), TRUE);
 }
 
 void
 meta_wayland_surface_window_unmanaged (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
 {
-  /* The window is being unmanaged. Unparent our surface actor
-   * before the window actor is destroyed, as we need to hold
-   * onto it... */
-  unparent_actor (surface);
-
+  clutter_actor_set_reactive (CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface->surface_actor), FALSE);
   surface->window = NULL;
 }
 
@@ -649,10 +642,8 @@ meta_wayland_surface_create (MetaWaylandCompositor *compositor,
 
   surface->buffer_destroy_listener.notify = surface_handle_buffer_destroy;
   surface->surface_actor = g_object_ref_sink (meta_surface_actor_wayland_new (surface));
-  clutter_actor_set_reactive (CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface->surface_actor), TRUE);
 
   double_buffered_state_init (&surface->pending);
-
   return surface;
 }
 
@@ -980,6 +971,7 @@ xdg_shell_get_xdg_surface (struct wl_client *client,
       return;
     }
 
+  meta_wayland_surface_make_toplevel (surface);
   surface->window = meta_window_wayland_new (meta_get_display (), surface);
 }
 
@@ -1035,6 +1027,7 @@ xdg_shell_get_xdg_popup (struct wl_client *client,
       return;
     }
 
+  meta_wayland_surface_make_toplevel (surface);
   surface->window = meta_window_wayland_new (meta_get_display (), surface);
   surface->window->rect.x = parent_surf->window->rect.x + x;
   surface->window->rect.y = parent_surf->window->rect.y + y;
@@ -1249,6 +1242,14 @@ subsurface_parent_surface_committed (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
   double_buffered_state_reset (pending_surface_state);
 }
 
+static void
+unparent_actor (MetaWaylandSurface *surface)
+{
+  ClutterActor *parent_actor;
+  parent_actor = clutter_actor_get_parent (CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface->surface_actor));
+  clutter_actor_remove_child (parent_actor, CLUTTER_ACTOR (surface->surface_actor));
+}
+
 static void
 wl_subsurface_destructor (struct wl_resource *resource)
 {
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.h b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.h
index 14305696c..9e12451d4 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.h
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.h
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ MetaWaylandSurface *meta_wayland_surface_create (MetaWaylandCompositor *composit
 						 guint32                id,
 						 guint32                version);
 
+void                meta_wayland_surface_make_toplevel (MetaWaylandSurface *surface);
 void                meta_wayland_surface_window_unmanaged (MetaWaylandSurface *surface);
 
 void                meta_wayland_surface_configure_notify (MetaWaylandSurface *surface,
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-xwayland.c b/src/wayland/meta-xwayland.c
index 36b538b30..76ca5cb66 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-xwayland.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-xwayland.c
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ xserver_set_window_id (struct wl_client *client,
   if (!window)
     return;
 
+  meta_wayland_surface_make_toplevel (surface);
+
   surface->window = window;
   window->surface = surface;
 }